Java Reference
In-Depth Information
This chapter is the foundation for this entire text. We will look at a design pattern that lever-
ages the strengths of both servlets and Java Server Pages (JSPs) to create maintainable and
reusable Web applications: the Model View Controller (MVC). In this study we will also look
at exactly where and why both servlets and JSPs fit in this pattern. Because you have not yet
covered servlet and JSP technologies, you will have to accept some of the statements made in
this chapter. My goal for the remainder of this text is to show how and why this pattern and
these technologies work so well when developing server-side Java Web applications.
The Model View Controller (MVC) Design Pattern
The MVC originated from Smalltalk and was used to design user interfaces. In such an inter-
face, the application was made up of three classes: a
Model
,a
View
, and a
Controller
. Each of
these classes is defined in Table 1.1.
T
ABLE
1.1
The Classes of the MVC
Class
Definition
Model
The Model represents the data or application object. It is what is
being manipulated and presented to the user.
View
The View is the screen representation of the Model. It is the object
that presents the current state of the Model.
Controller
The Controller defines the way the user interface reacts to the user's
input. The Controller is the object that manipulates the Model.
The major advantage of using the MVC design pattern is that it separates the Views and
Models. As a result, you can separate presentation from business logic, and, in turn, create or
change Views without having to change the Models or the Controller logic that manipulates the
Models. The MVC also allows Models to be represented by multiple Views.
A Server-Side Implementation of the MVC
To implement the MVC server-side pattern in Java we must combine JSPs and servlets. In this
section, we define a high-level server-side implementation of the MVC, where the Model is a
JavaBean that represents the data being transmitted or received. The Controller is a servlet that
manipulates or transmits data, and the
View
is a JSP that presents the results of the performed
transaction. Figure 1.1 models the steps involved in a sever-side implementation of the MVC.
